NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · MemoryAccessException

Space does not exist

Error message

Space does not exist

What it means

Thrown as MemoryAccessException by getBytes when the AddressSpace of the requested address has no backing DBTraceMemorySpace in the trace (getMemorySpace returns null with create=false). This means no memory state was ever recorded for that address space, so bytes cannot be read.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Framework-TraceModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/trace/database/program/AbstractDBTraceProgramViewMemory.java:290

	}

	@Override
	public byte getByte(Address addr) throws MemoryAccessException {
		try (LockHold hold = program.trace.lockRead()) {
			return cache.read(addr);
		}
	}

	@Override
	public int getBytes(Address addr, byte[] b, int off, int len) throws MemoryAccessException {
		try (LockHold hold = program.trace.lockRead()) {
			if (cache.canCache(addr, len)) {
				return cache.read(addr, ByteBuffer.wrap(b, off, len));
			}
			AddressSpace as = addr.getAddressSpace();
			DBTraceMemorySpace space = program.trace.getMemoryManager().getMemorySpace(as, false);
			if (space == null) {
				throw new MemoryAccessException("Space does not exist");
			}
			len = MathUtilities.unsignedMin(len, as.getMaxAddress().subtract(addr) + 1);
			return space.getViewBytes(program.snap, addr, ByteBuffer.wrap(b, off, len));
		}
	}

	@Override
	public void setByte(Address addr, byte value) throws MemoryAccessException {
		DBTraceMemorySpace space = memoryManager.getMemorySpace(addr.getAddressSpace(), true);
		if (space.putBytes(snap, addr, ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[] { value })) != 1) {
			throw new MemoryAccessException();
		}
	}

	@Override
	public void setBytes(Address addr, byte[] source, int sIndex, int size)
			throws MemoryAccessException {
		DBTraceMemorySpace space = memoryManager.getMemorySpace(addr.getAddressSpace(), true);

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Before reading, check getMemoryManager().getMemorySpace(addr.getAddressSpace(), false) != null.
2. Ensure the trace actually records state for the target address space (write bytes or set state to populate it).
3. Use the correct platform/address-space for the traced target.

Example fix

// before
int n = mem.getBytes(addr, b, 0, len);

// after
DBTraceMemorySpace space = trace.getMemoryManager()
    .getMemorySpace(addr.getAddressSpace(), false);
if (space == null) {
    // space not present in trace; handle missing memory
    return 0;
}
int n = mem.getBytes(addr, b, 0, len);

// Check the memory space exists before reading bytes
DBTraceMemorySpace space =
    trace.getMemoryManager().getMemorySpace(addr.getAddressSpace(), false);
if (space == null) {
    // no state recorded for this space; cannot read
    return -1;
}

try {
    int n = mem.getBytes(addr, b, off, len);
} catch (MemoryAccessException e) {
    // space does not exist or read failed; handle missing memory
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling getBytes(addr, b, off, len) on a trace program view's memory for an address in an address space that has never been written to or initialized in the trace.

Common situations: Reading from a register space, overlay space, or RAM space that was never populated during tracing/emulation. Accessing an address space that belongs to a different architecture/platform than the one traced. Querying memory before the trace has recorded any state for that space.

Related errors

• Code unit would extend beyond address space
• All trace memory is initialized
• Mapped blocks are not supported in traces
• Memory addresses cannot be associated with a thread
• No such address space: %s

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c5a10d58a2b5d7a1. Report an issue: GitHub.